Really? Somebody must have miked it when I wasn't looking. I guess I was legal. All my venturis are off-the-shelf standard OS parts from Tower.
I repeat, I believe it's a moot point in BOTH events.
In Foxberg, with the stock legal parts, the engine almost sags off during acceleration. If it was any bigger it wouldn't make the first lap.
In Clown, the original object of the rules was to let FUEL CAPACITY be the great equalizer. You had the choice of going fast and making maybe 35 laps or going economical and making 65 laps. The problem (at least at Brodak's) was that the fast planes went 95 MPH and the slow ones went 60 MPH, so there a lot of "action" in the races. The fix was to use OS LA15's, but the difference in building skills still leaves about 15 MPH of speed differential (better than the old 35 MPH).
These events are just about the most "equalized" events I've ever seen. Airplane design, engine, fuel tank (size in Clown and brand in Foxberg), standard contest fuel, and a long list of other restrictions.
The only factors left open are workmanship, prop, balance point, and selecting the best of several engines.
This setup is OK with me, I've entered the events five times. The only event that's more equalized is bowling. And like bowling, the end result still hinges on a lot of skill and a bit of luck.